Would you like to see Reynolds play first base permanently?

Matt Vensel

Orioles slugger Mark Reynolds has started the past three games at first base, something some fans called for in the season's first half when the third baseman was throwing balls away like he was a young Kyle Boller.

Reynolds is second in the American League with 21 errors, all of them coming at the hot corner, but he has been solid there since the All-Star break. The move to first base was necessitated by the Derrek Lee trade to Pittsburgh and the sore shoulder of Chris Davis, who was acquired at the trade deadline in a different deal.

"So far so good over there, I guess," Reynolds, who has made 29 career starts at first base, said Sunday. "I don't know if I like [first] better, but it's good to just do whatever I can to help the team win. If they want me to play first, I'll be at first. If they want me at third, I'll be there, and if they want me to be in the outfield, I'll go to the outfield. Maybe not catcher. I don't like catcher so much."

Don’t worry, Mark. I think the O's are covered there.

But first base? That’s wide open, and it has been for a while. The Orioles have had a revolving door at first base in recent years, from Aubrey Huff to Garrett Atkins to Ty Wigginton to Derrek Lee.

Of course, if you move Reynolds to first base, it opens up a hole at third. Ideally, Josh Bell would step up and seize his opportunity. But that doesn’t seem likely in this lost summer for Bell.

Reynolds’ stint at first should be short-lived as he’ll move back to third whenever Davis returns to the lineup. Next season? It could happen if the Orioles strike out on free-agent first basemen.

"I don't know if it opened our eyes or kept them open," Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said of Reynolds' recent play at first base. "The guy has played a good number of games at first base in the big leagues and it was something that we talked about the 'what ifs' in the offseason when we traded for Mark."